Kenya Prisons Service Faces Backlash Over Promotion, Recruitment Policies
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A wave of discontent is sweeping through the Kenya Prisons Service (KPS) as graduate constables protest against alleged unfair promotion and recruitment practices ahead of a nationwide recruitment exercise scheduled for April 30.
The constables, many with years of service, claim they are being overlooked while fresh graduates and less-qualified candidates are recruited or promoted to senior ranks. The unrest follows recent KPS announcements to recruit Professional Cadet Officers, Technicians, Artisans, and Prison Constables.
The recruitment of cadet officers, which requires a bachelor’s degree, has sparked outrage among graduate constables with similar qualifications but stagnant careers.
“The Kenya Prisons Service demands a master’s degree and 10 years’ service for constables to become Inspectors, yet fresh graduates with bachelor’s degrees are recruited directly into the same rank. This is unfair,” a graduate warden based in Nairobi said anonymously, fearing victimisation.
A major grievance is the KPS requirement that serving constables with bachelor’s degrees must obtain a master’s degree to qualify for promotion to Inspector of Prisons, while cadet officers need only a bachelor’s degree for the same rank.
Officers question the necessity of a master’s degree for Inspectors and whether the department will fund such qualifications in line with the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) and the Employment Act.
Another point of contention is the promotion process for the rank of Corporal. Officers with over 15 years of service must undergo interviews for promotion, yet the KPS has advertised the same rank for artisans with KCSE grades below D+, lower than the D+ required for fresh constable recruits.
“How can artisans with below D+ grades compete for ranks against veteran officers with superior qualifications and decades of service?” asked a frustrated Mombasa-based constable, highlighting promotion disparities that undermine experience and merit.
Graduate constables, who typically join with a minimum KCSE D+ grade but acquire degrees during service, say their experience and qualifications are overlooked.
A Nakuru-based constable, speaking anonymously, expressed frustration, noting that despite over a decade of loyal service and earning degrees on the job, they remain constables while new graduates and artisans are promoted.
KPS guidelines indicate that cadet officers undergo 13 months of paramilitary training and are often appointed as Inspectors upon completion.
Constables, technicians, and artisans, however, undergo nine months of training and remain in lower ranks unless promoted through a competitive process.
A policy reportedly introduced by Commissioner General Patrick Aranduh requires serving officers to hold a master’s degree for promotions to ranks like Inspector, a move many view as discriminatory. The officers urged the Ministry of Interior and National Administration to review the criteria for promotion and recruitment.
An officer at KPS headquarters supported recruiting new talent but stressed that it should not disadvantage those with years of service.
Meanwhile, Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has addressed similar concerns within the National Police Service (NPS), signalling broader security sector reforms.
During his Jukwaa la Usalama tour in Tana River County last week, Murkomen promised fairness and equity in police promotions to avoid disparities where some officers are promoted after five years while others wait 30 years.
He noted that the National Police Service Commission (NPSC), led by Chairperson Eliud Kinuthia, has made progress in streamlining promotion processes, as briefed in March 2025. Murkomen also emphasized implementing the Maraga Taskforce recommendations on promotion reforms, despite a High Court ruling declaring the taskforce unconstitutional.
Expressing frustration with the judiciary’s decision, he argued it hinders efforts to address officers’ welfare, including promotion issues.
Murkomen’s focus on police reforms includes plans to recruit 10,000 new police officers in the 2025-2026 financial year, with the process expected to begin by May 2025.
He highlighted the strain on police stations due to a lack of recruitment in the past three to four years, stressing the need to bolster the NPS to address evolving security challenges.
The NPSC is piloting an automated police recruitment system to enhance transparency, accountability, and efficiency while curbing corruption. However, wardens argue that this is far from the truth, citing glaring disparities in promotions and recruitment.
Security analysts warn that low morale in the Kenya Prisons Service, a key component of the justice system, could impair service delivery, undermine rehabilitation and security, and necessitate a recruitment and promotion system that values officers’ experience and qualifications.
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